Method and apparatus for surface treating glass containers



June 30, 1936.

u. E. BOWES METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUBFACE TREATING GLASS CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 26, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. A6 flow-U ATTO EYS..

June 30, 1936. u w 's 2,046,302

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SURFACE TREATING GLASS CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 26, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY y u. E.'BOWES 2,046,302

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SURFACE TREATING GLASS CONTAINERS June 30, 1936.-

Filed Dec 26, 1955 s Sheet-Sheet s 11v ENTOR.

/Q/ v AT 1% .1 TO S.

Patented June 30, 1936-;

UNITED STATES METHOD AND. APPARATUS FOR SURFACE TREATING GLASS CONTAINERS Urban E. Bowes, Toledo, Ohio, assi'gnor to Owens- Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application December26, 1935, Serial No. 56,204

'5 Claims. (or. 49-14) The present invention relates to improvements in methods and apparatus for surface treating glass or other ceramic containers and more particularly the interior surface of bottles and jars.

Glass containers such as bottles and jars, are frequently used in the packaging of liquids which are of such character that over a comparatively short period of time, they leach out the alkali at' and in proximity to the interior surface of the lass structure.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a novel method and apparatus for neutralizing the alkali on and adjacent the interior surface of glass bottles and-jars whereby to avoid the above noted objection and in addition retard visible weathering of the glass. To this end an acidic gas such for example as sulphur dioxide or trioxide is applied to the interior surface of the containers prior to annealing thereof.

A further object is the provision of novel means whereby sulphur pellets or their equivalent may be deposited in the bottles or jars during their transfer from the forming machine to the annealing leer.

Other objects will be in part apparent. and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary'plan view showing my invention operating in conj unction with a forming machine, leer and machine conveyor.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a detail sectional view taken substantially along the line IIIIlI of Fig. 1.-

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line IV--IV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line V-V of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

The pellet depositing apparatusis shown in operative relation to a machine conveyor Ill which is disposed between, and adapted to convey bottles from, a standard form of bottle machine and a conventional type of annealing leer l2. Bottles B produced on the forming machine H may be removed from the molds and placed upon one end machine operations by any suitable means (not shown). As the bottles or other glass containers move in succession past a given point, sulphur pellets is are delivered thereto by a dispenser I5 which is operatively connected to the machine conveyor.

This dispenser includes a hopper l6 which is mounted at the upper end of a supporting arm I! suitably attached to the frame l8 carrying the machine conveyor Ill. The hopper includes acircular bottom wall l9 and a circular side wall 20 disposed at right angles to the bottom wall I9.

The hopper has a filling opening 2| and asecond 10 opening 22 in juxtaposition thereto, the latter providing for access to the interior whereby to ,facilitate removal, replacement and/or adjustment of the feeding mechanism, aswill be apparent presently. The bottom wall I9 is formed with a discharge port 23 opening directly into the upper end of a nozzle 24 or pipe, the lower or discharge end of which terminates at a level just above the level of the mouth or filling opening of the bottles B or other containers.

. Feeding of pellets to the pipe 24 by way of the port 23 is timed with movement of the conveyor I0 and bottles or other containers. To this end, a rotary valve 25 is arranged within the-hopper, said valve assuming the form of a disk having rotary sliding contact with a supporting ring 26 or hearing which is attached to the bottom wall Hi. This ring 26 is formed with a port 21 of the same diameter as and in register with the dis-' charge port 23. This-valve disk or plate is formed with an annular series of discharge openings 28 designed for alignment one at a time with the ports 23 and 21 whereby to discharge the sulphur pellets I4 one at a time into the pipe 24. These openings 28 are of such dimensions that they will accommodate only one pellet at .a time. Radially disposed ribs 29 or like devices are formed on one face of the disk 25 for the purpose of agitating the supply of pellets, contained in the hopper.

, and machine conveyor, the latter being continu ously driven by any conventional or preferred means not shown. A stub shaft 30 is journaled in a bearing 3| at the center of the inclined bottom wall l9 and at one end is separably connected through a. hub 32 and screw 33. The other end of the shaft carries a bevel gear 34 running in mesh with a bevel gear 35 at the upper end of a shaft 36, which at its lower end carries a bevel gear 31 meshing with a bevel gear 38, the latter being connected by a sprocket wheel 33 and ,a part of the machine conveyor unit.

In operation, the bottles or other containers are formed in the molds of the bottle machine. II and then placed upright upon the machine conveyor II. The valve 25 and conveyor are operated in synchronism so that as the bottles arrive in succession at aposition directly beneath the discharge end of the pipe 24, a sulphur pellet is deposited in' the bottle or other container., The heat in the bottle fires the pellet and thereby creates an acidic gas which neutralius the alkalinity of the interior surface. Various other acidic gases may be introduced into the bottles or jars in the fashion disclosed herein and will be satisfactory. Upon completion of the surface treating operation, the bottles are pl in the annealing leer I! in which they are peredin the usual or anypreferred manner. I

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims;

1. The method of neutralizing the alkalinity of the interior surface of a hollow ceramic arti- .cle which consists in depositing in the article while the latter is hot, a pellet, which when subjected to the heat of the article, fires and creates an acidic gas.

2. The method of neutralizing the alkalinity of the interior surface of a hollow ceramic article which consists in transferring the article from a forming machine to an annealing leer and depositing in the article during its transfer from the machine to the leer, a pellet which when subjected to the heat of the article, fires and creates an acidic gas. 7

3. The method which conslstsinmoldinga hollow ceramic article, transferring the article to an annealing leer prior to any great loss of heat and depositing in the article during its transfer to the leer, a pellet which when subjected to the heat of the article, fires and creates an acidic 8&8.

4. The method of neutralizing the alkalinity 10 of the interior surface of a hollow ceramic article which consists 'in depositing in the article while the latter is hot, a sulphur pellet which when subjected .to the heat of the article, fires and creates an acidic gas. I 5. In combination, a forming machine adapted to produce hollow ceramic articles, an annealing leer to which the articles are transferred, mechanism arranged to transfer the articles from the machine to the leer and automatic means operating in synchronism with thetransferring mechanism for depositing pellets in the articles, said pellets being of a character to burnand create an acidic gas immediately after being deposited in the articles. 6. In combination, a machine for producing hollow ceramic articles, an annealing leer in which the articles are adapted to be tempered, mechanism for transferring the articles from the machine to the leer and an apparatus operating in synchrcnism with and driven by the article transferring mechanism for depositing sulphur pellets or the like in the bottles during their trans-' fer to the leer. I v

URBAN E. BOWES. 

